Woodbridge man shot in dispute with neighbor

WOODBRIDGE-- A 46-year-old man is in critical condition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick after being shot early this morning by his neighbor, said Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Nicholas Sewitch.

John Moore was found shortly before 1 a.m. on the living room couch in his home at on Bucknell Avenue in Woodbridge, Sewitch said. Police were called to the home by neighbor Michael Lovas, 48, who called 9-1-1.

The prosecutor said the investigation determined Lovas shot his neighbor, then called authorities for help.

"There is a history of bad blood between these two neighbors," Sewitch said.

The motive for the shooting "is still under investigation," the prosecutor added.

Sewitch would not say in which part of his body Moore was shot. He also declined to identify the caliber of the handgun and ammunition used in the shooting -- both of which were found in Lovas's house.

The prosecutor said the shooting took place outside.

"There is a driveway that separates the two single family homes," Sewitch said. "Moore was on one side and Lovas on the other, both on their own property."

Lovas was charged with attempted murder and unlawful possession of a weapon late this morning and is awaiting transfer to the Middlesex County jail in North Brunswick.

His bail was set at $500,000 by Superior Court Judge Phillip Paley.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Dave Davis of the Woodbridge Police Department at (732) 634-7700 or Investigator Paul Miller of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at (732) 745-3300.